DINFOS: The Do's and Don'ts of a Swell Interview

The Do’s and Don’ts of a Swell Interview is a pedagogical short film produced for the Defense Information School’s Public Affairs and Communication Strategy Directorate. Drawing upon the visual and narrative conventions of mid-twentieth-century educational cinema, the film employs a black-and-white aesthetic and parodic tone to explore professional standards in military-media engagement. By staging two contrasting case studies through the characters Dave and Mary, the narrative highlights effective and ineffective approaches to preparing for and conducting interviews with journalists. The retro stylization functions both as a creative device for audience engagement and as a reflexive commentary on the enduring relevance of foundational communication practices. Positioned within the broader discourse of military public affairs education, the film demonstrates how cultural nostalgia and instructional satire can be mobilized to enhance learning outcomes in communication strategy training.